Can I make a claim?

The dangers of cosmetic surgery

For most people who have a treatment at a beauty clinic or a spa it is a nice relaxing experience, but for some people it can turn into a traumatic experience leaving them scarred.

The BAAPS sees the growth in the industry as a potential problem. It says that the urge of many of those in the industry to make money at all costs has led to an increased number of irresponsible sales techniques. It says that many procedures such as dermal fillers are carried out on the high street with many being attracted by internet promotions, magazine advertising and aggressive discounting.

Nigel Mercer, President of the BAAPS, warns that the current environment within the industry is one that is putting both patients and practitioners at risk, due to the greed and the increased media interest, combined with an under-regulated market. He warns specifically of aggressive marketing by some in the industry with an increased use of discount vouchers and 2-for-1 offers.

He says that a regulator similar to Ofcom should be introduced to tackle the increased bad practice and says that the industry should start by banning discount offers along with promotions by clinics. He also argues that fillers, injected under the skin, should be licensed as a medicine. He said that there were 77 such fillers, currently allowed in the UK, which are allowed, requiring nothing more than an EU patent.

If you have suffered beauty treatment injuries as a result of negligent beauty treatment in a beauty clinic, spa or hair salon from waxing treatments to hair dye, sunbeds and lasers, you might be entitled to claim compensation.

There are various pitfalls relating to cosmetic surgery:

When successfully done an injection of Botox in the forehead muscles pulls up drooping brows and eyelids, however if the injection hits the wrong muscle it pulls the brow down.

Most wrinkle fillers are temporary. They will be based on natural substances and can be reabsorbed by the body if something goes wrong. However, some are permanent, containing synthetic substances, which can cause lumps.

Problems can also occur where synthetic substances are injected into the skin. This causes scar tissue which can become almost impossible to remove without scarring.

Encapsulation occurs in almost 10 percent of breast enhancement cases. This occurs where the body tries to reject the implant; it becomes inflamed and forms scar tissue, so the surrounding area becomes hardened.

Eyelifts involve cutting the eyelid to tighten it. These procedures can go wrong if they are not repositioned correctly. When this happens they turn slightly outwards and the eye becomes prone to running.

Sometimes known as turkey tummy, this can occur when too much fat has been removed by liposuction or it has been removed too close to the skin surface. This can leave the skin surface with dimples, ripples and saggy skin.

Badly performed nose jobs can sometimes end up with lumps where the cut surface of bone or cartilage pushes against the skin. ‘Polly beak’ is a problem which occurs where too much nasal cartilage is left at the tip of the nose, and a break occurs, making it look hooked.